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How to Classify Safety Issues in Aviation SMS Programs

What are Classifications in Aviation SMS Programs

Classifications are how you organize your safety concerns into qualitative groups. In this way, classifications “summarize” safety issues in multiple ways.

Over time, based on classifications, you can data-mine all safety issues to see what types of concerns are most and least problematic in your organization.

Oftentimes, classifications are organized into easy to manage forms like a tree, where you can expand and collapse relevant classification groups. This makes organizing upwards of 100 or more pieces of data manageable.

Classifications are also indicative of how well developed and functional an aviation SMS program is. Organizations that take the time to create solid, thoughtful classifications are usually on top of their safety program.

Here's what you need to know to classify safety issues in aviation SMS programs.

Best Practices for Classifying Safety Issues

Unfortunately, there is little oversight guidance and resources for classifying safety issues. This is a major loss because:

Classifications are the foundation of data analysis in aviation safety programs; and

Lack of unity among operators for classifying issues; and

Major loss of opportunity for growth of aviation service providers’ safety programs.

So, here are best practices that we have seen that significantly improve classification usability:

Use classifications with three levels:

Category to group larger, system related classifications, such as Flight Ops, Ground Ops, etc.

Sub-Category to organize system classifications into relevant groups, such as Landing, Takeoff, ATC, On-Board Aircraft, etc.

Safety management/team performs risk analysis on the safety issue; and

After finishing, safety management will qualify analysis by organizing the issue with various types of associated classifications.

How you apply classifications to safety concerns depends on what kind of risk management tools you are using. If you have aviation risk management software, such organization will be automatic and you will simply need to select which classification you want, where it will be documented for you.

If you are using a spreadsheet, such as Excel, you will need columns for each type of classification in your reported issues table where you can list the classifications. Having any meaningful use of paper documented classifications will be difficult.

Over time, you will have a nice set of data to data-mine for safety trends.

How to Use Classification Data

Classification data will be used in nearly every facet of decision making in risk management programs. These data will be used for: